Retro STrife wrote: And you could say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", and normally I'd be fine with that - if not for that fact that nearly every other game series gets penalized for releasing "more of the same", even if there isn't anything to fix.
You are totally right. If it stays the same, its criticized. If it changes too much, its criticized. Its hard to win with sequels, yet once you have the brand awareness, you want to keep making sequels if you can because its even harder to sell a brand new game.
Voor wrote: Regarding Zelda, but brother is a huge fan of the series and he though BOTW was a "fantastic" game, but not really a good Zelda. That may make more sense to other Zelda fans....
This obviously happens with any long running series. To bring in new fans, things are changed which alienate older fans. I'm a Star Trek fan, and the franchise is basically unrecognizable to me from the old 1960s series. Yet, that's what Star Trek is now - basically, a Star Trek movie or tv show is whatever the franchise holders say it is. I get to say if I still want to be a fan, and if I think the modern installments are worthwhile anymore.
History though, doesn't belong to the franchise holders. BotW is a Zelda game because it is, but then again, so is Wand of Gamelon. A Zelda game is all of that.